Edu K
Frenétiko (Man/Fusion III)
You might remember this guy’s track “Popozuda Rock ’n’ Roll” from that Rio Baile Funk comp, and a fair bit of his full album’s approach to favela grooves follows the same pattern—shamelessly stolen booty beats and ridiculous rock guitar behind atonal Brazilian bad-boy boasts. In that respect, “Sex-o-Matic,” with Deize Tigrona guesting, works even better. But this K cat has more goofy tricks up his sleeze, jacking bits of batucada, electro, mambo and Eurodisco, slathering Tarzan hollers and fat sax squawks over the hilarious “Quero Ser Ator Pornô,” rapping in crude English on “Da Punk Funk” and tossing in a pair of reggaeton remixes. It’s all utterly obtuse and absurd, of course, but that’s what makes this nonsense so much fun. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

The Bellrays
Have a Little Faith (Cheap Lullaby)
The Bellrays are one of the fiercest bands to ever hit a stage, but their previous two albums had a hard time translating their live performance to record. The lo-fi production is thankfully chucked on Have a Little Faith, and Lisa Kekaula’s soul croon has never been better. The Curtis Mayfield groove on “Everyday I Think of You,” “Tell the Lie” and the title track is top notch, the punk vitriol of “Snotgun” is stunning and the Motown treatment of “Third Time’s the Charm” lightens things up a bit while managing to steer clear of cliché. The record stumbles when main songwriter Tony Fate throws in left-of-centre jazz chords and dynamics that seem a little out of place at times, and manage to suffocate Kekaula’s excellent sense of melody, but with songs like the explosive “Beginning From the End,” that hardly makes a blip. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Pet Shop Boys
Fundamental (Parlophone/EMI)
With definitively ’80s producer Trevor Horn (Buggles, Band Aid, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Art of Noise) behind the board again, the title of PSB’s latest, which smacks so strongly of their early efforts, is particularly apt. Take the talked-about “I’m With Stupid”—while the Bush-and-Blair-sitting-in-a-tree routine is au courant, the tune could have been a b-side to “West End Girls.” While largely a rehash, their tasteful synth-pop remains appealing (the maudlin slow jams notwithstanding—“I Made My Excuses And Left” should have done just that), and as always, singer Neil Tennant’s droll and incisive lyrical gestures distill difficult ideas down to deft turns of phrase. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Sunset Rubdown
Shut Up I Am Dreaming (Absolutely Kosher)
Spencer Krug may be as disturbed by this album’s accessibility as he was with that of his co-creation, Wolf Parade’s Apologies to the Queen Mary. With a three-piece backing band, predominantly linear melodies and near-enunciation, this is like Abba next to last year’s Snake’s Got a Leg. Not that that’s saying much—it still feels like awkwardness laid bare, thankfully, like an album by the kid the boys wanted to pound in elementary school, the kid who had those embarrassing temper tantrums. Now he plays piano and guitar and has a bit of orchestral backing, but he still eats paint. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Frog Eyes and Beaver at Friendship Cove, Sat., May 27, 8 p.m., $8

Witch
self-titled (Tee Pee)
The first thing you’re supposed to know is that Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis is a member of Witch, but don’t get too excited—he’s behind the traps instead of in front of the stacks. This Sabbath-fuelled psych-out hardly needs to rest on rock-star credentials, though, as the stoner grooves on songs like “Seer” and “Soul of Fire” are chock full of the good stuff. Witch don’t bother re-inventing the wheel and come across as a more psyched-out Pentagram, or a less intricate Captain Beyond. If you like your vintage Sabbath sludge and Blue Cheer ballast, you’re gonna love Witch. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Les Claypool
Of Whales and Woe (Prawn Song)
I’m still trying to figure out what the difference is between a Les Claypool joint and a Primus album. Wait, I got it—the fact that there’s very little guitar, and when there is, it’s all Claypool. A departure from what we’re used to, Claypool’s Of Whales and Woe employs tenor sax, marimba, theremin, tabla, sitar and more, upping the strange-and-twisted ante. This, however, makes for a silly yet musically complex album. Ditto for the subject matter, as on “Vernon the Company Man,” “Back Off Turkey” and the title track. 8/10 (Lateef Martin)

The Walkmen
A Hundred Miles Off (Record Collection/Warner)
Johnny Rotten once said that he thought “Blowing in the Wind” was about a fart. Well, not only is Hamilton Leithauser desperate for the “new Bob Dylan” title (or at least a sound-alike contest win), but the Walkmen dealt it. Their two previous LPs were uneven, but they’ve always cranked graceful melodies from their jangly guitars and wonky pianos. Now, with few exceptions, it sounds like they gave a homeless guy a mic and started wailing on their instruments in time to an alarm clock. Was the move from their Marcata HQ to D.C. punk studio Inner Ear so dramatic, or have these guys just jumped the shark? 5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Republic of Safety
Vacation (Ta-Da)
“Temporary passion is a crime of fashion, we’re burning up the bridges between words and action!” Like a starter’s pistol, those words launch the latest EP by Toronto’s Republic of Safety, led by multi-talented mover and shaker Maggie MacDonald. Their sexy socialist manifesto, unveiled with ’05’s rough and tumble Passport EP, fuels the old-school punk rock opener and the title track, a lush, lively tune featuring Owen Pallet and Gentleman Reg. The four-track disc loses steam in the end, but the lyrical punch still leaves a bruise, and the upswing in production (courtesy Don Pyle, ex-Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet) forecasts a fine future LP. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) Double CD launch with the World Provider and Famulous at Lambi, Fri., May 26, 9 p.m., $7

Various
The Trip (Family/Fusion III)
The founders of the superior-grade Britpop act Pulp, Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey, once announced that they would only compile one mix compilation in their career, and with The Trip, they’ve done so. Given the pair’s sharp musical acumen and penchant for calculated provocation, the key is of course to expect the unexpected. The obvious calls, like Gainsbourg or maybe a Scott Walker track (he produced Pulp’s last album, after all), are passed up in favour of Moondog, Sonny Bono and the Birthday Party. Kicking off on a Carl Orff jam, these two discs pack in schmaltzy soft-rockers, groovy psych-outs, post-punk milestones and strange synth-pop covers, ranging from exciting to intriguing to entirely annoying. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Marc Mac
It’s Right to Be Civil (Omniverse)
As an LP that was originally released for download, free of charge, It’s Right to Be Civil appears to carry a message that was meant to be as accessible to as many people as possible. Marc Mac takes well-known historical speeches from the civil rights movement, and some random samples of the time, and combines them with boom-bap grooves and forward-thinking beats. The result is a series of musical snapshots revisiting some key moments in black America’s past, themes often left out of the club-ready world of hip hop production. Songs like “Rosa Said,” “Liberation Drums,” “Atlanta Walking” and “Even the President Knows” speak volumes even in their looped simplicity. 7.5/10 (Scott C)

KRS-One D.I.G.I.T.A.L. (Cleopatra Records)
Far from a greatest hits collection, KRS decided to put together some of his b-sides and remixes, as well as radio appearances and songs that slipped through the cracks over the years, on this CD. Highlights include Common and KRS freestyling over Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya,” the off-kilter Showbiz remix of “Sound of tha Police” and a serious joint called “Remember” that I don’t remember at all. Even though there is a disclaimer stating that this should not be considered a current KRS release, there’s still some nuggets on here that smell and taste like brand new material. Some failed album cuts, maybe? “As You Already Know” with Kool G Rap, Truck Turner and Big Pun sounds like one that got away, but fits nicely into the “lost ones” theme of this CD. 7/10 (Scott C)

Avant
Director (Geffen/Universal)
On his latest set, Avant sticks to the same mid-tempo grooves that have propelled him four albums deep into his career. And while tracks like “This Is Your Night” and lead single “4 Minutes” show he’s perfected his musical love game, it feels like we’ve been hearing the same songs from him from day one. Guest stars, including Lil Wayne, Lloyd Banks and Jermaine Dupri, add a little spice, but only guest vocals by it-girl-band the Pussycat Dolls add any real heat, on the sweet and sexy “Stickwitu.” This isn’t a bad album, but it feels like this director keeps shooting from the same angle over and over again. 6.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Marc Copland
Poetic Motion (Harmonia Mundi/Fusion III)
Marc Copland
Time Within Time (hatOLOGY/Fusion III)
Copland, who turns 58 on Saturday, began his music career as saxophonist Marc Cohen, before taking a sabbatical and coming back with a new name and instrument. Described as a pianist who combines the harmonic knowledge of a Bill Evans with the blues feeling of a Hampton Hawes, he’s recorded prolifically since his return. This pair would be a good way to discover Copland, if you haven’t already, as they’re solo sessions. The former, from 2001, consists of seven originals plus “Naima” and the “Love Theme From Spartacus.” The latter is from 2004 and among its dozen tracks are “Django,” “Footprints,” “All Blues” and four versions of Comden, Green and (Leonard) Bernstein’s wonderful composition, “Some Other Time.” Both CDs are worthy of rapt attention. Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin) At Upstairs, Fri.–Sat., May 26–27

Mini CD Reviews

Bill Coon & Oliver Gannon Two Much Guitar (Cellar Live) This live, eight-tune set from these two Vancouver-based guitarists—which includes Bird’s “Chi Chi” and Kern’s “All the Things You Are”—is well worth adding to your collection. 9 (LD)

Jack DeJohnette feat. Bill Frisell The Elephant Sleeps but Still Remembers (Golden Beams/Koch) This duo is on fire during this live recording from 2001. Their treatment of Coltrane’s “After the Rain” has to be a watermark for Frisell. 8.5 (JC)

Tanya Morgan Moonlighting (Loud Minority/ABB) They all sayin’ hip hop is dead, but Von Pea is on the corner, yellin’, “What the fuck you mean, mean…” 8 (SC)

Rock Kills Kid Are You Nervous? (Reprise/Warner) As dumb as Duran Duran, as massive as early U2, as shameless as She Wants Revenge, this band surpasses the Killers with a winning re-hash formula. 6.5 (LC)

Ron Sexsmith Time Being (Warner) Reuniting with producer Mitchell Froom, Sexsmith picks the perfect shade and a vibrant pattern, but it’s still wallpaper. 6 (LC)

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